Meet Elephant Herd Matriarch Renee & Her New Son

Baby Elephant Name…

Baby Elephant News. Elephants, Freedom & Zoos – A Rant

“Free the Animals!” I’ve spoken for years about Circuses and Animals. The animals should be freed! Circuses are for Humans — to perform in and to watch.

And a lot of zoos were little better. Mere cages. Steel and cement prisons for captured creatures. Wandering lost forever in front of cold Inhuman eyes.

But in this age of endangerment and cruel harvesting, Wildlife Refuges are a growing need. And in places, “better at least than circuses,” some zoos are being repurposed into refuges of a kind.

Some zoos have good news. Some zoos ARE good news.

Among them, animals, already shorn of horns and tusks have found a new life. They are surviving. And sometimes thriving. And reproducing.

Meet Elephant Herd Matriarch Renee & Her New Son – Baby Elephant Name.

“Toledo Zoo’s Elephant Herd Grows with Arrival of Newborn Calf…

“The Toledo Zoo is thrilled to announce the birth of a healthy baby elephant, born to African elephant, Renee. The male calf, weighing 266 pounds, was welcomed into the Tembo Trail exhibit on February 17, 2024.”

This new addition to the Toledo Zoo is the result of a successful and sophisticated artificial insemination process. They worked closely with the Elephant Species Survival Plan. The Zoo chose Titan from Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, as the father.

“It took months of coordination working with our partners in the field,” said Michael Frushour, curator of mammals at the Toledo Zoo. “It takes a special team of experts to perform an elephant insemination. And we prioritized working with the best professionals within the United States and the world to make sure that happened.”

Renee arrived at the Zoo in 1982. She’s estimated to be 45 years old. In June, she weighed approximately 8,300 pounds. And reached 8,800 pounds during pregnancy. She’s an experienced mother. This marks her third pregnancy through artificial insemination, underscoring the Zoo’s commitment to preserving the elephant species.

Her first-born, Louie, now resides at the North Carolina Zoo. While her second-born, Lucas, unfortunately died of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus at nine years old in 2021.

The herd’s matriarch, Renee, is renowned for her gentle and cooperative spirit. She’s the perfect elephant for training new keepers. They love her and she responds to them.

She enjoys watermelon and wallowing on warm days. She cleverly uses objects like stumps and balls to find food, showing her adaptability and intelligence.

Both Renee and her calf are in excellent health. The Zoo’s dedicated staff are providing meticulous care and monitoring. Throughout her pregnancy, Renee remained active and healthy. Thanks to the elephant team. They conducted daily exercises, monitored her hormone levels, and performed weekly ultrasounds.

Her care team also collected plasma and conducted overnight observations as her due date approached. This made sure that both mother and calf remained in excellent health. You can view these videos on the Toledo Zoo’s social media channels. (See the Facebook and Twitter Share Buttons below.)

Toledo Zoo’s Elephant Herd Grows with Arrival of New Baby Elephant.

Like some other animals at the Toledo Zoo, the African elephant has been classified as “Endangered.” It’s on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “Red List of Threatened Species.”

As such, the Toledo Zoo is dedicated to providing a safe and enriching home for these animals. As well as educating the public about the importance of preserving and protecting wildlife.

“Preserving the future of this species is critical to us. At this zoo, we are committed to doing so. We’re looking forward to the new calf joining our elephant family. We’re optimistic that he will fit in just fine,” Frushour explained.

In addition to Renee and the newborn calf, the Zoo is also home to two other elephants. Twiggy and Ajani.

Twiggy, a USDA-confiscated elephant, arrived in Toledo in February 2010. She weighs 7,200 pounds and is estimated to be 39 years old. Known for her vocal nature and love for watermelon, Twiggy played a nurturing role as an aunt to Lucas. The team eagerly anticipates her interactions with Renee’s new calf.

In September of 2023, the Zoo welcomed Ajani, a 23-year-old male elephant.

Ajani was born at the Indianapolis Zoo. He spent some time at the Birmingham Zoo before moving to Sedgwick County Zoo. “Ajani has been a great addition. He’s been enriching the social dynamics of the herd as he gets acquainted with the keeper staff. Along, of course, with Renee and Twiggy.”

BABY ELEPHANT NAME CONTEST: The newest member of the herd will need a name. So the Zoo has launched a naming contest where the public can donate to select their favorite name for the male calf. The contest starts March 1, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on March 14. To vote, visit https://toledozoo.info/forms/baby-elephant-naming-vote/. The winning name will be announced via the Zoo’s social media platforms. Followed by the calf’s public exhibit debut on Saturday, March 16.

Baby Elephant: As of mid-March, guests can visit Renee and her calf.

“Zoo staff is asking the public to please be patient. Twenty guests at a time will be guided by Zoo staff to enter the indoor exhibit. Noise levels must be kept to a minimum. And no flash photography will be permitted. We don’t want to startle our gentle giants.”

But it’s a celebration when every baby elephant is born, eh?

UPDATE: Saturday, March 16, 2024. “Meet our African elephant calf, Kirk!” Yup, the little guy has a name. Welcome to planet Earth, Kirk!